The undefeated and ranked James Madison Dukes host the struggling Buffalo Bulls. The teams met in Buffalo last season, with the Dukes coming out on top 97-62. It is time to continue our college basketball odds series with a Buffalo-James Madison prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

Buffalo's only win this season came against a Division II school, Roberts Wesleyan. Their five losses came against mid-major schools, losing an average of 17.4 points. Buffalo is coming off a six-day break, as their Gulf Coast Showcase tournament didn't go as planned, losing three games in three days. They played against Iona in the tournament's seventh-place game, losing 89-64 after starting the game down 13-0. Buffalo is led by their big men, Sy Chatman and Jonnivus Smith, transfers from Illinois State and Seton Hall. Smith has three double-doubles through his first six games.

James Madison may be the most surprising top-25 team right now, as the Dukes have taken college athletics by storm with the success of their basketball and football teams. They have been undefeated through six games, having two road games, two home games, and two neutral site games. They dominated the Cancun Challenge's Riveria Division in Mexico, beating Fresno State 95-64 in the championship game. The Dukes have beaten five teams that won at least 21 games last year, but now their schedule will ease for the rest of 2023. All their remaining opponents in 2023 have losing records, and none are from Power Six conferences. They are led by Boston College transfer T.J. Bickerstaff, Noah Freidel, and Terrence Edwards Jr. The Dukes have a three-headed monster that takes turns being the star every night.

Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Basketball Odds: Buffalo-James Madison Odds

Buffalo: +22.5 (-105) ML (+1500)

James Madison: -22.5 (-115) ML (-5000)

Over: 159.5 (-110)

Under: 159.5 (-110)

How to Watch Buffalo vs. James Madison 

Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT

TV: ESPN+

Stream: FuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why Buffalo Will Cover The Spread

You may not be able to find any optimism for Buffalo in this matchup. You will see that this matchup leans heavily toward James Madison. However, some good news for Buffalo is that James Madison has kept some teams close this season. They beat Kent State by 5, Radford by 3, and Southern Illinois by 6 in a three-game stretch. However, two of those three games have not been on their home court. If you think this is a trend worth noting, you will lean toward Buffalo, but it's hard to trust that bet with James Madison at home.

Why James Madison Will Cover The Spread

James Madison is making a name for themselves this year in the NCAA. They started the year with a three-point upset victory over Michigan State and haven't looked back. They have wins over five teams that won over 21 games last season. Fresno State was their latest victim, beating the Bulldogs by 31 points in the Cancun championship game. This Buffalo team is nowhere near the same caliber as some other opponents. They are 1-5 thus far, with their only win against a Division II school. They lost by 25 to Iona last time out, a 2-3 team having problems in a transition year. Hofstra also took care of them, winning by 34 points. Buffalo isn't incapable of losing big to a team. Stopping the rolling James Madison Dukes may be too big of a task for them on Wednesday night.

James Madison showed a glimpse of what they would be last season, earning a 22-11 record. One of their most dominating wins was going on the road to Buffalo and beating them 97-62. Since that matchup, both teams have been going in opposite directions. James Madison now gets to host Buffalo in their first home game since November 17th. They will be ready to put on a show for their home fans and have the recent success against Buffalo to lean on. It can be argued that Buffalo will be looking for revenge, but James Madison is a stronger team, and Buffalo is a weaker team from last season.

Final Buffalo-James Madison Prediction & Pick

It may be scary to back James Madison as a 23-point favorite. However, nothing that has happened this season should deter you from trusting the James Madison Dukes. They beat Fresno State handily in their last outing, covering the 2.5-point spread after winning by 31 points. The odds haven't caught up to how good the Dukes are this season, as 23-point favorites still seem low with how the season is going. Buffalo has been losing in blowouts to lesser teams than James Madison, and their only win came against a Division II school. Despite the victory, it was concerning that they only beat Roberts Wesleyan by six points at home.

If this season's results aren't enough to sway you toward James Madison, then we have a recent head-to-head matchup to lean on. Last season, James Madison wasn't in their 6-0 ranked form when they visited the University of Buffalo for a November game. The Dukes were three-point road favorites as oddsmakers started to respect James Madison. The Dukes went into that game and defeated Buffalo by a score of 97-62, covering the spread by 31 points. On Wednesday night, James Madison will have the homecourt advantage and are in even better form than last season.

Final Buffalo-James Madison Prediction & Pick: James Madison -22.5 (-115)